Where Do Negative Beliefs Come From?
Negative beliefs prevent some athletes from achieving the success they dream about.
These athletes are plagued with negative beliefs about their talents and ability to perform in competition.
These negative beliefs, self-labels, and irrational thoughts can overwhelm athletes often before the competition even begins.
By the time the competition starts, lack of confidence is already a foregone conclusion.
Where do these negative beliefs come from?
Irrational beliefs often are born out of perfectionism, “I have to be perfect or… my parents will be mad or I will displease my coach.”
Some athletes think in all-or-nothing terms… Performance is either perfect or an utter failure.
In some cases, athletes call themselves names, such as choker, and adopt these negative labels.
How do negative beliefs affect performance?
Irrational beliefs and negative self-labels cause you to focus on the wrong thing… results.
When you pursue perfection instead of excellence, you become so afraid to fail that it prevents you from immersing yourself in the moment.
So while you are competing, you are constantly judging yourself and your performance.
In order to free yourself up for peak performance, you need to be able to counter those irrational beliefs.
How to overcome or counter these negative beliefs
Martin Turner et al. researched irrational beliefs and mental strategies to counter negative beliefs (Not the End of the World: The Effects of REB Therapy on Irrational Beliefs in Elite Soccer Academy Athletes, 2014.)
Turner stated that irrational beliefs are false, illogical and unhelpful beliefs that affect an athlete’s perceptions (what you think about competition) which influences your emotions and how you perform.
REBT (Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy) helps athletes identify, challenge, and counter negative beliefs and thoughts so you can perform more freely.
Turner says that athletes can combat negative beliefs by disputing the irrational thoughts.
The researchers determined that asking yourself the following three questions can help you confront those debilitating negative beliefs.
- Is it true? Is it true that I always mess up in pressure situations? Have there been times when I succeeded with the game on the line?
- Is it logical? Is it logical that just because I messed up in the past, that I am destined to repeat those mistakes in every pressure situation?
- Is it helpful? Does having this belief enhance my chances of success today or in the near future?
If you can dispute your own beliefs, it opens up room for more productive beliefs and thoughts.
Productive, positive thoughts enhance self–confidence, improve focus (Focus on what you are doing in the present), help you remain calm during pressure situations and create a positive mindset for competing.
Accepting that you can’t perform perfectly and not seeking perfection helps athletes to perform their best.
You can counter negative thoughts by trying these two tips:
- Tip #1: Understand how negative beliefs affect you personally. What do you experience: anxiety, inability to focus, fear? When do you begin to experience these? The night before competition, warm-up, or during the game?
- Tip #2: Record and then dispute these irrational beliefs. “Is it true?” “Is it logical?” “Is it helpful?”
Over time, you will notice those negative beliefs will start to lose their power.
Successful athletes have learned pregame preparation strategies to stay calm, focused, and perform with poise. We’ve created The Relaxed Athlete, Workbook Program to help you do this.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Turn Negative Criticism into Motivation
- Overcome Negative Self-talk in Sports
- How to Overcome the Fear of Negative Outcomes
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The Relaxed Athlete
The ability to relax and play your game under pressure is what separates the winner from the loser in any competition. Champion athletes train hard in practice, are motivated for the right reasons, and are able to raise their game in crunch-time with two minutes remaining in the game..
A relaxed and confident performance begins in the mind! When you are mentally prepared to compete, you can have an optimal level of intensity AND poise!
The Relaxed Athlete program is ideal for any athlete that wants to overcome pregame anxiety, worry, or excess tension and learn to perform with poise. It’s also ideal for any coach or parent who wants to teach athletes to perform with poise and relaxation in competition.